Anime Films and the Box Office — October 4, 2026
Chiikawa: The Movie surpassed 168 billion yen in cumulative earnings to hold Japan's 2026 box-office crown, but surrendered the #1 weekend slot as the live-action Police Story spin-off claimed the top position. Star Detective Precure maintained strong holds while Sumikko Gurashi announced its fifth theatrical entry for 2027, signaling continued confidence in character-driven anime franchises.
Anime Films and the Box Office — October 4, 2026
Top developments
Chiikawa Hits 168 Billion Yen; Drops to #2 After 10 Weeks at #1
Eiga Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu (Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island) accumulated 168 billion yen in total gross as of the September 25–27 weekend, cementing its position as Japan's highest-grossing 2026 film. Despite the milestone, the film dropped to second place after dominating the box office for ten consecutive weeks. In the September 25–27 session, Chiikawa earned 280 million yen on 182,000 weekend admissions, retaining strong per-theater performance even as newer releases climbed the chart.
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Chiikawa Anime Film Stays at #1, Live-Action Look Back Opens at #5 - News - Anime News Network
Latest Crayon Shin-chan Film Becomes Highest-Grossing in Franchise - News - Anime News Network
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"Police Story: N.E.W." Reclaims #1 in Week Two; Marks Live-Action Resurgence
The live-action Odoru Daisosasen: N.E.W. Metropolis o Kakenukerou! (Police Story: N.E.W. – Speeding Through the Metropolis), a Toho release, surged to #1 in its second weekend with 243,000 admissions and 360 million yen, totaling 2.1 billion yen after two weeks. The 14-year gap since the franchise's last theatrical entry created substantial audience appetite, displacing Chiikawa and signaling that anime, while commercially dominant across the year, still competes within a diversified market of live-action tentpoles.
Star Detective Precure Sustains #3; Crosses 8.4 Billion Yen
Eiga Meitan Detective Precure! Fushigi na Niwa to 2-nin no Himitsu (Star Detective Precure! The Mystery Garden and the Secret of Two) remained in the top three weekend lineup, achieving 8.4 billion yen in cumulative gross by September 26—nine days into its run. The film opened September 18 and drew 684,358 admissions in its first nine days, demonstrating stable family appeal and the evergreen strength of the Precure franchise for younger and multi-generational audiences.
Sumikko Gurashi Greenlights Fifth Film for 2027
San-X's Sumikko Gurashi franchise announced a fifth anime film slated for 2027, with Neko as the protagonist. The decision reflects confidence in character-driven theatrical franchises—Sumikko Gurashi has sustained four previous films with steady audience returns. This greenlight, announced September 30, signals that mid-tier anime properties with robust merchandising ecosystems are securing multi-year theatrical commitments.
animenewsnetwork.com
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Chiikawa Anime Film Stays at #1, Live-Action Look Back Opens at #5 - News - Anime News Network
Latest Crayon Shin-chan Film Becomes Highest-Grossing in Franchise - News - Anime News Network
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Local view
Japanese trade press and anime-focused outlets framed the September 25–27 weekend as a shift in momentum rather than a decline in anime's overall market share. Anime Hack (eiga.com's anime division) noted that while Chiikawa lost the #1 slot, its sustained performance in the 280-million-yen weekly range demonstrates franchise durability—a hallmark of 2026's anime slate. Animate Times credited Star Detective Precure's strong early hold to Toei Animation's consistent delivery on IP expansions and multi-format marketing. Japanese industry observers acknowledged that live-action tentpoles and anime coexist in a healthy ecosystem, with neither cannibalizing the other's long-term grosses.
Context & numbers
| Title | Cumulative (¥) | Weekend (¥) | Admissions (Wknd) | Position (9/25–27) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiikawa: The Movie | 16.8B | 280M | 182K | #2 |
| Police Story: N.E.W. | 2.1B | 360M | 243K | #1 |
| Star Detective Precure | 8.4B (9 days) | — | 684K (cumulative) | #3 |
| Crayon Shin-chan 2026 | 2.7B+ | — | — | Top 10 |
All figures from Japanese exhibition tracking (Kōgyō Tsūshin-sha / Eiga.com).
On the radar
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Tokyo Film Festival 2026 Animation: Magic Atlas made history as the first animated feature selected for competition at the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival—a potential signal of growing critical prestige for anime theatrical releases and their festival eligibility.
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Studio Ghibli Fest 2026 Concludes: Spirited Away's 25th-anniversary screening caps Studio Ghibli Fest 2026's year-long U.S. theatrical run in October, providing a data point on sustained international appetite for catalog anime re-releases alongside new theatrical originals.
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Chinese National Day Box Office: China's 2026 National Day holiday film slate (through October 3) crossed 300 million yuan in total market gross, with animated imports and domestic CG features competing for family demographics—indicating ongoing cross-border theatrical demand for anime-adjacent content.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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